Heat exchanger network

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger grid includes a stack including and arranged between end plates and further includes dividing plates and spacers arranged between the end plates to form sealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media. The end plates include one or both of inlet and outlet openings for the at least two media. The dividing plates including first passages aligned with the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first passages are delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and form collecting channels for the at least two media. The spacers include frames which are delimited circumferentially by rails and which spacers include second and third passages which are aligned at least partly with respect to the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first, second, and third passages are arranged as slots with a part of the second and third passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and another part of the second and third passages including pass-through gaps facing toward the sealed chambers and except for the gaps, the second and third passages are enclosed.

This application is a claims benefit of and priority to German PatentApplication No. 20 2009 015 586.2, filed Nov. 12, 2009, the content ofwhich application is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger grid. The gridincludes a stack of end plates and dividing plates, and spacers arrangedbetween them for forming mutually sealed chambers for at least two heatexchange media.

Heat exchanger grids are frequently built in plate design, for example,see DE 20 2004 011 489 U1, in that a stack is formed from plates andspacers which keep them apart and are provided in form of individualsections or rails. The stack comprises chambers which are sealed againsteach other and through which at least two heat-exchanging media flow,especially fluid ones. The various components of the stack are connectedby soldering, for example, and are sealed against each other. Thefinished grid is then fastened by welding to collecting chambers whichare used for feeding or discharging the media. Such a configurationrequires much mounting work due to the numerous different components andleads to comparatively high material costs and requires more space dueto the additional attachment of the collecting chambers.

In order to avoid these disadvantages, heat exchanger grids are knownwhich are provided in the manner of shell coolers with integratedcollecting chambers, for example, see DE 196 28 561 D1 and DE 202 10 209U1. The integrated collecting chambers are formed by passages which aredisposed in the plates and are aligned with respect to each other andwhich are in flow connection only with associated chambers determinedfor receiving one of the media. The sealing of the chambers and thepassages occurs in this case by annular or disk-like spacers which arearranged between the plates and act simultaneously as a sealing means.Heat exchanger grids of this kind also consist of numerous individualparts and are also problematic with respect to their positionalstability unless additional or specially designed turbulator inserts orthe like are provided between the plates.

Finally, a heat exchanger grid of the kind described above is known, forexample, see DE 10 2007 021 708 A1, whose stack of plates is formed inan alternating fashion of punched dividing plates and spacers which arearranged between the same, act as a sealing means and are also punched,and consist of integral frames which each delimit one chamber determinedfor the one or other medium. The frames for the one medium, for example,cooling water, are also provided with inwardly protruding rails, forexample, protruding into the chambers, in order to thus forcibly deflectthe respective medium several times while flowing through said chambers.Passages arranged in the dividing plates are used as collecting chambersfor these media, as in the other heat exchanger grids which are producedin an analogous fashion to the shell configuration. Whereas, for thesecond medium, for example, the intake air of a motor vehicle engine,there are no collecting chambers or only such that are usually required.The material costs and the labor in the assembly of the stack arecomparatively low in this case because only a plurality of plates needsto be placed on top of one another and then needs to be connected witheach other by soldering or the like.

Although the heat exchanger grids, as described above, and similar onesensure a consistently good heat exchange, they still always causeproblems in their application. That is so, when for actually identicalexchanger grids, different demands are placed on the position of theinlet and/or discharge openings through which the media are to besupplied to or removed from the heat exchanger grid as a result ofspecial installation situations in different types of motor vehicles orthe like. As a result of the frequently limited available space, heatexchanger grids are required, in such cases whose inlet and dischargeopenings are adjusted individually, to the respective application. Forthis purpose, at least the end plates and dividing plates need to beprovided with individually provided passages. This requires theprovision of different tools for the production of the end plates anddividing plates, which is why the advantages of the heat exchanger gridsprovided with integrated collecting chambers are offset by undesirabledisadvantages in production.

On the basis of this state of the art and the technical problemsmentioned, the present disclosure arranges the heat exchanger grid, ofthe kind as mentioned above, in such a way that although it is composedof a few different components it can be provided with inlet and/ordischarge openings whose position can be changed in a simple manneraccording to the respective requirements. Moreover, the heat exchangergrid of the present disclosure is configured to be set up with smallchanges for the heat exchange between two, three or more media.

The heat exchanger grid according to the present disclosure includes astack including and arranged between end plates and further includingdividing plates and spacers arranged between the end plates to formsealed chambers for at least two heat exchange media. The end platesinclude one or both of inlet and outlet openings for the at least twomedia. The dividing plates include first passages aligned with the oneor both of the inlet and outlet openings, the first passages beingdelimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and form collectingchannels for the at least two media. The spacers include frames whichare delimited circumferentially by rails and which spacers includesecond and third passages which are aligned at least partly with respectto the one or both of the inlet and outlet openings. The first, second,and third passages are arranged as slots with a part of the second andthird passages being delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges andanother part of the second and third passages including pass-throughgaps facing toward the sealed chambers and except for the gaps, thesecond and third passages are enclosed.

The present disclosure provides, on the one hand, that spacers areprovided between the dividing plates which includes integral framesdelimited circumferentially by rails, and, on the other hand, that thedividing plates and the rails are provided with slotted passages whicheither form enclosed collecting chambers for the various media or areopened towards chambers to be flowed through by the media and formedbetween the dividing plates in order to enable the inflow of the mediainto the chambers and discharge of the media from the chambers. Theslotted passages allow providing the end plates with inlet and/ordischarge openings, the positions of which can be changed within theboundaries of the respective lengths of the slits. That is why the stackof dividing plates and spacers can be combined with numerous differentarrangements of inlet and/or discharge openings. Moreover, heatexchanger grids for more than two media can, in accordance with thepresent disclosure, thus be created in a simple manner in such a waythat the spacers and frames can be subdivided into two or more chambersby dividing rails.

Additional advantageous features, in accordance with the presentdisclosure, are disclosed therein.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacersare arranged in several parts made of two mutually spaced end pieces andat least two rails which connect the end pieces with each other. As aresult of the multipart arrangement, the cuttings and thus also thematerial consumption in punching out the spacers can be reducedsubstantially. Moreover, the lengths of the rails can be adjusted asrequired in a simple manner without having to produce a separate toolfor each further length of a spacer. The required pressing forces forpunching out the individual parts are substantially lower as comparedwith an integral embodiment. Moreover, there is less warping in punchingout the individual parts, especially in the region of the radii of theend pieces.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, theend pieces and the rails are arranged to be engaged with each other inan interlocking manner in at least one direction.

Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from thefollowing descriptions when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 each show a perspective view, of a first embodimentaccording to the present disclosure, from the top and the bottom of aheat exchanger grid for two media and having connecting elements.

FIGS. 3 and 4 each show an upper and bottom end plate of the heatexchanger grid according to FIGS. 1 and 2 on a reduced scale.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a dividing plate of the heat exchanger gridwhich is reduced in scale in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show top views of a spacer of the heat exchanger gridwhich is reduced in scale in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 8 shows the heat exchanger grid in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 inan exploded view.

FIGS. 9 to 16 show views, similar to FIGS. 1 to 8, of a secondembodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the presentdisclosure, for three media and its individual parts.

FIGS. 17 to 24 show views, similar to FIGS. 1 to 8, of a thirdembodiment of a heat exchanger grid, in accordance with the presentdisclosure, for four media and its individual parts.

FIGS. 25 to 32 show views of variants of the heat exchanger grid shownin FIGS. 9 to 16 in perspective top and bottom views, with connectingelements for the media being provided at different places.

FIG. 33 shows a further embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, inaccordance with the present disclosure, in an exploded view.

FIGS. 34 a) to 34 f) show parts of the heat exchanger grid shown in FIG.33.

FIG. 35 shows a further embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, inaccordance with the present disclosure, in an exploded view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a heat exchanger grid, inaccordance with the present disclosure. The grid comprises a stack 1which includes stacked dividing plates 2, as shown in FIG. 5, andspacers 3 and 4, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which spacers 3, 4 arearranged in an alternating manner between two dividing plates 2 each,and which stack is provided at the ends with end plates 5 and 6 as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. The dividing plates 2, the spacers 3, 4 and end plates5, 6 may have equally large and square or rectangular outer contours andlongitudinal axes 7 to 11 which extend through their middle and, in thecase of rectangular contours, extend parallel to their long rectangularside, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7.

The end plates 5 and/or 6 are provided with inlet and/or dischargeopenings 12 a to 12 d, as shown in FIG. 8, on which connecting elements14, in form of pipe sockets or the like, are placed in order to supplyor discharge the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid. In theembodiment, the end plate 5 is provided with two each of such inletopenings 12 a and 12 c and two discharge openings 12 b and 12 d, whereasthe end plate 6 does not have any such openings 12.

The dividing plates 2 comprise first passages 16 in opposite boundaryregions which are parallel to the longitudinal axes 9 and are adjacentto the side edges 15, with the number of the passages thereof dependingon the number of the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid. Twosuch first passages 16 are provided in the embodiment in each boundaryregion. All first passages 16 are delimited by edges 17 which areenclosed circumferentially.

Spacers 3 are arranged between two dividing plates 2 and each includes,as shown in FIG. 6, integral frames which are delimitedcircumferentially by rails 18 and 19, with the rails 18 being arrangedparallel to the longitudinal axes 10 and the rails 19 perpendicular tothe longitudinal axes 10, and jointly forming a circumferentiallyenclosed frame.

Whereas the rails 19 are comparatively narrow, the rails 18 have alarger width. Furthermore, two passages 20 and 21 are arranged in theserails 18, with one second passage 20 and 21 each being provided in eachrail 18, in analogy to the dividing plates 2. Two mutually oppositesecond passages, for example, passages 20, are each delimited bycircumferentially enclosed edges 22. Conversely, the two other secondpassages, for example, passages 21, are delimited by edges 23, which arealso substantially enclosed circumferentially but are provided withpass-through gaps 24 which lead to the interior spaces of the frames orchambers 25, which are enclosed, on the one hand, by the rails 18, 19 ofthe frames and are delimited, on the other hand, upwardly and downwardlyby dividing or end plates 2, 5 or 6 which are adjacent in the stack 1.In other words, the pass-through gaps 24 each represent openings whichproduce a flow connection between the second passages 21 and thechambers 25 which are flowed through by a first medium, for example, thecooling water of a motor vehicle.

The spacers 4 of a second kind are arranged in a substantially analogousmanner in relation to the spacers 3 and include integral frames formedby the rails 26, 27. Two third passages 28 and 29 are each formed in thecomparatively wide rails 26, with two mutually opposite third passages,for example, passages 28, being delimited by circumferentially enclosededges 30. Conversely, the two other passages, for example, passages 29,are delimited by edges 31 which are also substantially enclosedcircumferentially but are provided with pass-through gaps 32 which leadto the insides of the frames or chambers 33, which are enclosed, on onehand, by the rails 26, 27 of the frames and are delimited, on the otherhand, upwardly and downwardly by dividing or end plates 2, 5 or 6 whichare adjacent in the stack 1. The pass-through gaps 32 thus provide flowconnections between the second passages 29 and the chambers 33 which areflowed through by a second medium, for example, motor oil of a motorvehicle. Apart from that, all slotted passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 maycomprise longitudinal axes which are arranged parallel to thelongitudinal axes 10 and 11 of spacers 3, 4 and, in the finished stack1, are also parallel to the longitudinal axes 7 to 9 of the dividingplates 2 and the end plates 5, 6.

As is further shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the two pass-through gaps 24 ofthe spacer 3 and the two pass-through gaps 32 of the spacer 4 may bedisposed diagonally opposite of one another. In the embodiment, thepass-through gap 24 is arranged, for example, at the top left and thebottom right in FIG. 6, whereas the pass-through gap 32 is arranged atthe top right and the bottom left, so that the media can flow, forexample, in the direction of the illustrated arrows through the chambers25, 33. Finally, FIGS. 5 and 7 show that the slotted passages 16, 20,21, 28 and 29 are all substantially equally large and have such a lengththat they extend not quite over half the length of the dividing plates 2and spacers 3, 4. Moreover, the position of the passages 16, 20, 21, 28and 29 is chosen in such a way that they come to lie in a flush mannerand coaxially above one another when the stack is formed. In total, thespacers 3 and 4 may be identical in their structure, as is shown inFIGS. 6 to 8, but are arranged in the stack to be twisted by 180° abouta longitudinal axis 10 or 11.

The formation of the stack may occur, as shown in FIG. 8, in such a way,for example, that successively a dividing plate 2, then a spacer 3, thena further dividing plate 2, then a spacer 4, and then, in an alternatingmanner, a dividing plate 2 and a spacer 3 or 4 are placed on the bottomend plate 6 until finally the upper end plate 5 is placed on uppermostdividing plate 2 of stack 1. The longitudinal axes 7 to 11 come to lieabove one another in one plane. Thereafter, the described parts areconnected with each other in a liquid-tight manner by soldering or thelike. The end plates 5 and 6, the dividing plates 2 and the spacers 3and 4 are advantageously made of sheet metal, especially aluminum sheet,and the dividing plates 2 are clad-brazed on both sides, so that nofurther soldering agents are required. Furthermore, the end plates 5 and6, the dividing plates 2 and the spacers 3 and 4 are preferablyintegrally formed from sheet metal, e.g. by punching, lasing, or jetcutting.

In a finished heat exchanger grid, both the slotted second passages 20and 21 and the slotted third passages 28 and 29 are aligned in a flushand coaxial manner with the slotted first passages 16. As a result, andas shown in FIG. 8, for example, one part of the passages 16 and thepassages 21 and 28, on the one hand, and the other part of the passages16 and the passages 22 and 29, on the other hand, are arranged above oneanother in such a way that each form a collecting chamber for one of thetwo heat exchanger media. The collecting chamber formed by the passages16, 21 and 28 is opened through the pass-through gap 24 only towards thechambers 25 and the collecting chamber formed by the passages 16, 22 and29 is opened through the pass-through gap 32 only towards the chambers33. Furthermore, the end plate 5 is provided in the embodiment with theinlet and/or discharge openings 12 a and 12 d in such a way that theyare also aligned towards one first passage 16 of the adjacent dividingplate 2, whereas the other end plate 6 does not have any inlet ordischarge opening 12. As a result of this arrangement, the first mediumcan be supplied, for example, through the inlet opening 12 a and bedischarged again through the discharge opening 12 b again. Itsuccessively flows through first, third and second passages 16, 28 and21 which are aligned towards the inlet openings 12 a. This medium thenreaches the associated chambers 25 from the passages 21 by thepass-through gap 24, flows through the same and leaves it again throughthe pass-through gap 24 in the diagonally opposite passages 21. Themedium then reaches the discharge opening 12 b in the end plate 5through these passages and the passages 16 and 28 which are connectedwith them and are circumferentially enclosed. The second medium can berespectively introduced through the inlet opening 12 c, for example,from where it flows through the collecting chambers formed by thepassages 16, 29 and 20, reaches the associated chambers 33 by thepass-through gap 32 and leaves the same again through the diagonallyopposite pass-through gap 32, in order to flow back to the dischargeopening 12 d and from there through the passages 29, 20 and 16 which arearranged on this site. As a result, the enclosed passages 20 take partin the formation of the collecting chambers for the second medium andthe enclosed passages 28 in the formation of the collecting chambers forthe first medium, where as the passages 21, 29, which are provided witha pass-through gaps 24, 32, are each used for guiding the first andsecond medium through the chambers 25, 33 which are formed by thespacers 3, 4 and the adjacent dividing plates 2 and are enclosed in aliquid-tight manner.

In order to increase the mechanical stiffness of the spacers 3 and 4 andthus the entire heat exchanger grid, at least some of thecircumferentially enclosed second passages 20 and 28 may be subdividedby connecting webs into two halves, which connecting webs extendtransversely to the longitudinal axes 10 and 11 and act as a tie rod.This is shown in FIG. 6 at the bottom left for a passage 20 providedwith a connecting web 34 and in FIG. 7 at the top left for a passage 28provided with a connecting web 35. The thus caused reduction in thecross sections of the passages 20, 28 is not critical because the inletand discharge openings 12 a to 12 d, the connecting elements 14, and thepass-through gaps 24, 32 have flow cross sections that are smaller thanthe slotted passages.

Whereas the heat exchanger grid according to FIGS. 1 to 8 is set up forthe exchange of heat between two media such as the motor oil of anautomotive engine and the cooling water of the motor vehicle, the heatexchanger grid according to FIGS. 9 to 16 is used for the exchange ofheat between three media. The transmission oil of the motor vehicle isadded as the third medium for example, which shall be cooled with thesame cooling water as the motor oil.

FIGS. 9 to 16 essentially have the same components as in FIGS. 1 to 8.That is why these components in FIGS. 9 to 16 are provided with the samereference numerals but are supplemented with the letter “a”, whichapplies especially to the dividing plates 2 a, end plates 5 a, 6 a andspacers 3 a and 4 a. In contrast to FIGS. 1 to 8, the upper end plate 5a has three, instead of two, inlet openings 12 a, 12 c and 12 e andthree discharge openings 12 b, 12 d and 12 f, and connecting elements 14which are connected with these, as shown in FIG. 16. Furthermore, thedividing plates 2 a are provided, in each boundary region adjacent tothe side edges 15 a, as shown in FIG. 13, with three first slottedpassages 16 a each instead of two of these, which are the limited bycircumferentially enclosed edges 17 a.

Furthermore, two types of frame-like spacers 3 a and 4 a are provided.

The first kind of spacers 3 a corresponds substantially to the spacers3, but with the difference that two passages 20 a each are present inrails 18 a which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 a. Thepassages 20 a are delimited by circumferentially enclosed edges 22 a,and one second passage 21 a is present, which is provided with apass-through gap 24 a and is thus open towards the chamber 25 a enclosedby the frame. The two passages 21 a may be disposed diagonally oppositeof one another, as is shown in FIG. 14.

A second kind of frame-like spacers 4 a is provided in rails 26 a whichare parallel to the longitudinal axis 11 a with a third passage 28 awhich is delimited circumferentially by enclosed edges 30 a and with twopassages 29 a 1 and 29 a 2, which each comprise a pass-through gap 32 a1 and 32 a 2 which is opened towards the inside of the frame. Thepass-through gap 32 a 1 leads into a first chamber 33 a 1, whereas thepass-through gap 32 a 2 leads into a second chamber 33 a 2. The twochambers 33 a 1, 33 a 2 are separated from one another in a liquid-tightmanner by a dividing rail 36 which extends between the rails 26 a, as isshown in FIG. 15, and apart from that are sealed in a liquid-tightmanner by dividing plates 2 a resting on both sides like the chambers 25and 33. The arrangement may also be made in such a way that the twochambers 33 a 1 and 33 a 2 have the same size and both the two passages32 a 1 and two passages 32 a 2 are disposed diagonally opposite of oneanother within said chambers 33 a 1 and 33 a 2, as is also shown by FIG.15. Possible directions of flow for the three media flowing through thechambers 25 a, 33 a 1 and 33 a 2 are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 by arrows,for example.

The assembly of the components, according to FIGS. 11 to 15, occurs inthe manner as shown in FIG. 16. A dividing plate 2 a, a spacer 4 a, thena dividing plate 2 a, and then a spacer 3 a are placed successively onan end plate 6 a, and then, by way of the same successive application,further dividing plates 2 a and spacers 3 a, 4 a, until the stack 1 a iscompleted by the upper end plate 5 a which rests on the last dividingplate 2 a. The various components of the stack 1 a thus formed are thenconnected with each by, for example, soldering and in the same mannerinto a compact heat exchanger grid, as described above by reference toFIG. 8.

In the finished heat exchanger grid, the second and third passages 20 a,21 a, 28 a, 29 a 1 and 29 a 2 may be aligned in a flush manner andco-axially to the first passages 16 a. In this way, the passages 20 a,29 a 1, with associated passages 16 a, each form a respective collectingchamber for a first medium. The passages 29 a 2 with further passages 20a and associated passages 16 a form a respective collecting chamber fora second medium. The passages 21 a with associated passages 28 a and 16a form a respective collecting chamber for the third medium. In analogyto FIGS. 1 to 8, the first medium, for example, oil, can flow throughthe pass-through gap 32 a 1 through the chambers 33 a 1. The secondmedium, e.g. oil, can flow through the pass-through gap 32 a 2 throughthe chambers 33 a 2, and third medium, for example, cooling water, canflow through the pass-through gap 24 a to the chambers 25 a.

At least selected second passages 20 a are appropriately provided withconnecting webs 34 (see FIG. 14), in analogy to FIGS. 1 to 8.

The described construction of the heat exchanger grid, in accordancewith the present disclosure, allows for numerous further configurations.FIGS. 17 to 24 show a heat exchanger grid whose components are providedwith the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 8, and are providedadditionally with the letter “b”. The heat exchanger grid, according toFIGS. 17 to 24, differs mainly from the heat exchanger grid according toFIGS. 9 to 16 in such a way that it is arranged for the flow of fourmedia, with the clutch oil of a motor-vehicle being added as the fourthmedia, for example. That is why, in accordance with FIGS. 17 to 24, theend plates 5 b and 6 b each comprise four inlet and discharge openings12, as shown in FIG. 24, which are connected with connecting elements14, and the dividing plates 2 b comprise four slotted passages 16 b ineach boundary region adjacent to the side edges 15 b. Furthermore, twotypes of frame-like spacers 3 b and 4 b are provided. The spacers 3 b,as shown in FIG. 22, correspond to the spacers 3 a, as shown in FIG. 14,with the difference that they comprise four instead of three secondpassages 20 b and 21 b in each rail 18 b. The passages 21 b are disposeddiagonally opposite of one another and are delimited by edges whichcomprise the pass-through gap 24 b which leads to the chambers 25 benclosed by the spacers 3 b. Conversely, the spacers 4 b differ fromthose of FIG. 15 in such a way that in each rail 26 b they each comprisefour instead of three third passages 28 b, 29 b 1, 29 b 2 and 29 b 3.The passage 28 b is circumferentially enclosed, whereas the passages 29b 1 to 29 b 3 are each delimited by an edge provided with a pass-throughgap 32 b 1, 32 b 2 and 32 b 3. The pass-through gaps 32 b 1 to 32 b 3lead into one chamber 33 b 1, 33 b 2 and 33 b 3 each, with the chambers33 b 1 and 33 b 2 being separated from one another in a liquid-tightmanner by a dividing rail 37 which connects the opposing rails 26 b andthe chambers 33 b 2 and 33 b 3 are separated from one another in aliquid-tight manner by a respective dividing rail 38.

Analogously, the second kind of spacers 4 b could be provided with morethan three chambers for more than three different media. For example,the spacers 4 a, 4 b can be provided with at least two or more chambers,as required.

The mounting of the described parts occurs, in analogy to FIG. 16, asshown in FIG. 24 by stacking the dividing plates 2 b and the variousspacers 3 b and 4 b in a successive and alternating manner. Thusprovides the obtained stack 1 b with the end plates 5 b and 6 b, andsubsequent soldering of the components by forming a heat exchanger gridwhich is suitable for the through-flow of four media and, like the otherembodiments, in accordance with the present disclosure, comprisesintegrated collecting chambers for the four media which are formed bythe first, second and third passages.

It is advantageous, according to the present disclosure, that the inletand discharge openings 12 can be provided at entirely differentlocations of the end plates 5 and 6 as a result of the slotted passages16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 within the limits which are given by therespective length of the slot. Moreover, the inlet and dischargeopenings 12 and the connecting elements 14 can be provided optionally onthe upper and/or bottom end plate 5 and 6. This is shown in FIGS. 25 to32 by way of the embodiment according to FIGS. 9 to 16.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 25 and 26, the upper end plate 5 ais provided with two connecting elements 39 a, 39 b for the inlet anddischarge of the first medium and with connecting elements 39 c, 39 dfor the inlet and discharge of the second medium. Conversely, the twoconnecting elements 39 e, 39 f for the inlet and discharge of a thirdmedium are connected with the bottom end plate 6 a. FIGS. 27 and 28 showthe connecting elements 40 a, 40 c and 40 e for the inlet of three mediaon the upper end plate 5 a and the connecting elements 40 b, 40 d and 40f for the discharge of three media on the bottom end plate 6 a, with theconnecting elements 40 a, 40 b and 40 c, 40 d and 40 e, 40 f beingassociated in pairs with the first, second and third medium. Furtherpossibilities for the positioning of connecting elements, and naturallyalso the inlet and discharge openings 12, are shown in FIGS. 29, 30 andFIGS. 31, 32. Furthermore, all connecting elements 39, 40 and the inletand discharge openings 12 in the end plates 5 a and 6 a associated withthem can be arranged to be offset to such an extent in the direction ofthe longitudinal axis 9, as was already mentioned, as is possible as aresult of the lengths of the slotted first passages 16 a, as shown inFIG. 13, and the second and third passages 20 a, 21 a and 28 a, 29 awhich are aligned with the former. This leads to the advantage thatnumerous different arrangement patterns are possible for the connectingelements 39, 40 with the same dividing plates 2 a and spacers 3 a and 4a, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, so that end plates 5 a, 6 a need to beproduced only when adjusted to certain specific cases. The same applies,analogously, for the other embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 8 and 17to 24.

In order to facilitate the mounting of the finished heat exchanger gridsin a motor vehicle or the like, the dividing wall and end plates 2, 5and 6 and the rails 28, 26 of the spacers 3, 4 may be provided withmounting holes 41, for example, 1-7, which in the stack 1 form acontinuous channel for receiving a fastening screw or the like. Themounting holes 41 are appropriately arranged as elongated holes.

It is further appropriate, in order to improve the heat exchangeperformance, to provide the chambers 25 and 33, as shown, for example,in FIGS. 6 and 7, with turbulator inserts 42, as shown in FIGS. 8, 16and 24. One advantage of the described construction is that theturbulator inserts 42 can be provided with a square or rectangularoutside contour which respectively corresponds to the size of thechambers 25, 33, thus avoiding complex tools and work steps inproduction.

It is provided, for further easing the mounting when packing the stack1, 1 a and 1 b, that each dividing and end plate 2, 5 and 6 and eachspacer 3, 4 is provided with at least one specially formed outsidecorner which has a different contour than the other outside corners, asis indicated, for example, in FIGS. 5 to 7 by one acute outside corner43 instead of the otherwise rounded or bevelled outside corners 44.These outside corners 43 must lie directly above one another in thefinished stack. In this way, errors in placing the stack are avoided ina very simple manner, on the one hand, whereas on the other hand it canbe checked easily even after the formation of the stack through theexternally visible outside corners 43, 44 whether all components wereplaced correctly.

FIGS. 33 to 35 show two further embodiments of a heat exchanger grid, inaccordance with the present disclosure, whose components are providedwith the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 8, providedadditionally with the letter “c”, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 a-f, andwith the letter “d”, as shown in FIG. 35. The heat exchanger gridsaccording to FIGS. 33 to 35 differ mainly in such a way from the heatexchanger grids as described above that the frame-like spacers 3 c and 3d are arranged in several parts. It is thus possible to avoid having topunch out the spacers from a solid sheet metal. This advantageouslyleads to a reduction in the cuttings and thus also to a reduction in theconsumption of material when punching out the spacers. Furthermore, therequired pressing forces for punching out the individual parts are loweras compared with the integral embodiment.

The spacers 3 c and 3 d include two mutually spaced end pieces 31 c, 31d and at least two rails 33 c, 34 c, 35 c, 33 d, 34 d which connect theend pieces 31 c, 31 d with each other. The end pieces comprise theirrespective passages 36 c, 37 c and 36 d, 37 d which correspond to theabove spacers. The end pieces 31 c, 31 d and the rails 33 c, 34 c, 33 d,34 d may be arranged to engage in an interlocking manner into each otherin at least one direction. As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 a) to f), therails 33 c, 34 c, 35 c are placed for this purpose in respectiveU-shaped recesses of the end pieces 31 c, 32 c and are thus fixed in aninterlocking manner transversely to the longitudinal extension of thespacers 3 c. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 35, the ends of therails 33 d, 34 d are provided with enlarged portions 331 d which can beplaced in respectively formed recesses 38 d of the end pieces 31 d, 32 dand are thus held in an interlocking manner not only transversely to thelongitudinal extension of the spacers 3 d but also in the direction ofthe longitudinal extension. In this way, the lengths of the rails can beadjusted in a simple manner without having to produce a separate toolfor each further length of a spacer.

The end plates 5 c and the dividing plates 2 c, 2 d comprise passagescorresponding to the passages 36 c, 37 c and 36 d, 37 d. The turbulatorinserts 42 c are provided with longitudinal slits which accommodate themiddle rail 34 c.

The described embodiments, in accordance with the present disclosure,may be modified in numerous ways. For example, the chambers 33 a 1, 33 a2 and 33 b 1 to 33 b 3 which are shown in FIGS. 15 and 23 with the samesize can also have different sizes, especially in the direction of thelongitudinal axes 11 a, 11 b. The size of these chambers may be chosenindividually, depending on the desired cooling performance. Furthermore,it can substantially be chosen at will in which direction the mediashall flow through the various chambers and collecting chambers. Forexample, the arrows in FIGS. 6 and 7, 14 and 15 as well as 22 and 22only represent examples. Furthermore, the first, second and thirdpassages need not necessarily be arranged on mutually oppositelongitudinal edges. It would be possible, for example, to position atleast two passages for the same medium, for example, the passages 29 inFIG. 7, in a rail 27 which is arranged perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis 11 and is provided with a sufficiently wideconfiguration. It is also possible to provide a dividing rail betweenthe two associated pass-through gaps 32 in such a way that the mediumflowing through a pass-through gap 32 into the chamber 33 flows at firstinto a chamber half parallel to the longitudinal axis 11 up to theopposite rail 27, is deflected there by a dividing rail and then flowsback through the other chamber half to the second pass-through gap 32.The passages in the dividing plates 2 and the other spacers 3 could bearranged in such a respective manner. Media other than those describedabove can be used as heat exchange media. For example, coolants, waterwith or without the addition of antifreeze agents, and gaseous media,especially air, both as cooling media and media to be cooled. It isfurther possible that in the application of dividing plates 2 which arenot plated, the end plates 5, 6 can be connected directly with a spacer3 or 4 and can be fastened to the same by an additional soldering agentor the like. It is further possible to arrange the embodiment accordingto FIGS. 8 to 16 in such a way that the spacers 3 a are provided withtwo chambers each in order to use two different cooling media forcooling two different media to be cooled. It can further be provided toarrange the passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and 29 at least partly not behindone another or not only parallel to the longitudinal axes 9 to 11 behindone another, but also transversely to the longitudinal axes 9 to 11 nextto one another. Moreover, the length of the passages 16, 20, 21, 28 and29, as measured in the longitudinal direction, may only be slightlysmaller than the length of the dividing and end plates, divided by thenumber of the media flowing through the heat exchanger grid, forexample, slightly smaller than ⅓ of the plate length in FIGS. 9 to 24.Furthermore, it is within the scope of the present disclosure that morethan two kinds of spacers can be provided if this is necessary orappropriate for the purpose of heat exchange. It is finally understoodto be within the scope of the present disclosure that the variousfeatures can also be applied in combinations other than those describedand illustrated in the above embodiments.

Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated indetail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way ofillustration and example only and is not to be taken by way oflimitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only bythe terms of the appended claims.

1. A heat exchanger grid comprising: a stack including and arrangedbetween end plates and further including dividing plates and spacersarranged between the end plates to form sealed chambers for at least twoheat exchange media; the end plates including one or both of inlet andoutlet openings for the at least two media; the dividing platesincluding first passages aligned with the one or both of the inlet andoutlet openings, the first passages being delimited by circumferentiallyenclosed edges and form collecting channels for the at least two media;the spacers including frames which are delimited circumferentially byrails and which spacers include second and third passages which arealigned at least partly with respect to the one or both of the inlet andoutlet openings; and the first, second, and third passages beingarranged as slots with a part of the second and third passages beingdelimited by circumferentially enclosed edges and another part of thesecond and third passages including pass-through gaps facing toward thesealed chambers and except for the gaps, the second and third passagesare enclosed. 2-21. (canceled)
 22. The heat exchanger grid according toclaim 1, wherein the end plates include two inlet openings and twooutlet openings each, and the dividing plates and the spacers eachinclude four first, second and third passages.
 23. The heat exchangergrid according to claim 22, wherein the dividing plates include a squareor rectangular outside contour and include first longitudinal axes whichare arranged parallel with respect to each other, and the first passagesare arranged in boundary regions of the dividing plates which areadjacent to side edges of the dividing plates which are parallel to thefirst longitudinal axes.
 24. The heat exchanger grid according to claim23, wherein the spacers include frames having square or rectangularoutside contours and second longitudinal axes, and the second and thirdpassages are arranged in rails of the frames which are arranged parallelto the second longitudinal axes.
 25. The heat exchanger grid accordingto claim 24, wherein the first, second and third passages are arrangedsuccessively behind one another in the direction of the first and secondlongitudinal axes.
 26. The heat exchanger grid according claim 25,wherein the first, second and third passages have passage longitudinalaxes which are arranged substantially parallel to the first and secondlongitudinal axes, respectively, of the dividing plates and the spacers.27. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 25, wherein the first,second and third passages have lengths which are slightly smaller than alength of an end of the dividing plates divided by the number of the atleast two heat exchanging media.
 28. The heat exchanger grid accordingto claim 1, wherein at least one or both of the first and secondpassages are penetrated by connecting webs configured as tie rods. 29.The heat exchanger grid according to claim 24, wherein the spacers arearranged to form at least one of the sealed chambers for two differentmedia, and are arranged in the stack in a position twisted with respectto one another by 180° about the second longitudinal axis.
 30. The heatexchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein two types of spacers areprovided, a first type being arranged to form one of the sealed chambersfor a first medium and a second type arranged to form at least two ofthe sealed chambers for at least two media.
 31. The heat exchanger gridaccording to claim 30, wherein the second type of spacers include atleast three third passages each in opposite rails, and that the at leasttwo sealed chambers are separated from one another by dividing railsarranged between selected third passages.
 32. The heat exchanger gridaccording to claim 1, wherein the spacers are made integrally from asheet metal.
 33. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 32, whereinthe spacers are produced by punching, lasing or jet cutting.
 34. Theheat exchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the spacers arearranged in several parts.
 35. The heat exchanger grid according toclaim 34, wherein the spacers are made of two mutually spaced end piecesand at least two rails which connect the end pieces with one another.36. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 35, wherein the endpieces and the rails are arranged to engage into each other in aninterlocking manner in at least one direction.
 37. The heat exchangergrid according to claim 1, wherein the end plates, the dividing platesand the spacers are connected with one another in a liquid-tight mannerby soldering.
 38. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 37, whereinthe dividing plates are clad-brazed on both sides.
 39. The heatexchanger grid according to claim 1, wherein the sealed chambers includeturbulator inserts.
 40. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 1,wherein the end plates, the dividing plates and the spacers includemounting holes which are aligned respect to one another in the stack.41. The heat exchanger grid according to claim 40, wherein one or moreof the end plates, the dividing plates, and the spacers include outsidecorners configured for mounting in the stack and include a contour whichdeviates from a contour of outer edges of one or more of the end plates,the dividing plates, and the spacers.